Civilnet
By Elen Muradyan
Armenia will reduce the duration of compulsory military service from two years to 18 months starting January 1, 2026, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Tuesday, in a move that comes just months before key parliamentary elections slated for June 2026. The reform, one of the most high-profile defense changes of his administration, accelerates a plan that was initially scheduled to take effect with the summer draft of 2026.
Pashinyan said the decision followed consultations with Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and parliamentary deputies. The government described the measure as part of a long-term transition toward a more professional army, with a larger share of contract soldiers and reduced reliance on conscription.
The Defense Ministry said the initiative is grounded in the government’s 2021–2026 program, which calls for shortening service through the expansion of professional roles and incentives for voluntary enlistment. It cited the “Defender of the Fatherland” program, the introduction of professional sergeant and certification systems, and new benefits for border service as factors that made the change possible. Officials expect the reform to lower defense spending by 2028.
Military analyst Eduard Arakelyan of the Yerevan-based Regional Center for Democracy and Security said the timing of the announcement gives it a political dimension. “Reducing service time is a popular move, especially before elections,” he said. “But the deeper question is whether the army’s training and command systems are ready. Without structural reform, a shorter service could reduce readiness rather than strengthen it.”
Arakelyan added that the reform’s success will depend on how well the army adapts to faster training cycles and whether the government invests in contract-based and reserve systems. “It’s not just about time served—it’s about what is done during that time,” he said.
Retired colonel Grigori Sahakyan, a former senior officer in the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army, called the decision “ambitious but risky.” He warned that the transition period between 2026 and 2028, when both 24-month and 18-month systems will overlap, could temporarily disrupt the army’s operational rhythm. “Eighteen months is a short cycle,” he said. “If training methods are not modernized, a portion of that time will be lost to adaptation, leaving less for actual preparation.”
Sahakyan said the government must prioritize building a strong sergeant corps, modernizing training with simulators and field exercises, and maintaining a capable reserve. “If the reform is guided by professionalism rather than politics, it could bring Armenia closer to a modern defense model,” he said.
Both experts stressed that the change carries political risks if rushed. “This is a strategic gamble,” Arakelyan noted. “Handled responsibly, it could modernize Armenia’s army; mishandled, it could weaken it at a sensitive moment—both militarily and politically.”
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